Our History

The history of the Department of Chemistry at MIT dates back to 1865. Over the years, a number of renowned and colorful figures have been associated with the department as faculty and as students including James Mason Crafts, Arthur Amos Noyes, G. N. Lewis, James Flack Norris, Arthur C. Cope, and F. Albert Cotton.

Many important research advances in chemistry have taken place at MIT and the department has also been on the forefront of innovation in chemical education. A Timeline History of the MIT Chemistry Department outlines highlights in the history of the department.

A comprehensive history of the department is in preparation and will be published here organized into the following sections:

Ideas and suggestions for this departmental history should be forwarded to Professor Emeritus Dietmar Seyferth (seyferth@mit.edu), MIT Room 18-592.

I. The Early Days

1861

MIT is founded by William Barton Rogers, formerly Professor of Natural Philosophy and Chemistry at William and Mary College, and Professor of Natural Philosophy at University of Virginia.

1865

MIT holds its first chemistry class (15 students) in Boston. Two faculty members include Francis H. Storer and Charles W. Eliot.1866 – Professor Cyrus Warren is the first professor of organic chemistry.

1866

Professor Cyrus Warren is the first professor of organic chemistry.

The Rogers Building is completed in Boston. Chemistry Department and its laboratories are located in the basement.

1869

The Lowell Institute begins holding evening classes including chemistry open to the public, men and women.

Professor Eliot leaves to become President of Harvard University. Professor Storer follows him to Harvard. Eliot attempts “takeover” of MIT.

1870

James Mason Crafts starts as professor of analytic and organic chemistry. He leaves MIT in 1874 for a 17-year stay in Paris where he develops the Friedel-Crafts reaction.

Ellen Swallow, the first woman in the chemistry department, receives her B.Sc. degree in 1873. She marries Professor Robert Richards of MIT in 1875.

1876

The Women’s Laboratory (non-degree until 1883 when women could become degree candidates) is founded by Ellen Swallow Richards to give women laboratory training in chemistry.

1884

The M.Sc. degree program is started at MIT.

1888

Professor Lewis M. Norton founds the first course in chemical engineering in the Chemistry Department.

1901

1903

1907

The first three MIT Ph.D.s are awarded to students of the Laboratory in Physical Chemistry.

1908

Professor William Walker founds the Research Laboratory of Applied Chemistry.

III. MIT Moves to Cambridge

1916

MIT moves from the Back Bay in Boston across the river to Cambridge (made possible by gifts of T. Coleman duPont and George Eastman). Chemistry professors at the time include: Frederick G. Keyes (physical chemistry and Department Head (1922 – 1945), Arthur A. Blanchard (inorganic chemistry), Forris Jewett Moore (organic chemistry), James Flack Norris (organic chemistry and Director of Research Laboratory of Organic Chemistry).

1962-1963

There are significant changes to the undergraduate chemistry curriculum. The 2-semester first year chemistry lecture/lab course is modified, and a new sequence of lab courses is developed.

VI. After Cope: 1964 – Present

1968-1969

Construction begins on the Dreyfus Building to house organic, organometallic, and biological chemistry research laboratories.

1970

Biological chemistry is developed as a new research direction. Professor Gobind Khorana joins the department. Other biological chemists join the department including Christopher Walsh, 1972; Gregory Pesko, 1978; William Orme-Johnson, 1980; and Joanne Stubbe, 1987.

1988

The Department of Applied Biology is discontinued and several faculty receive appointments in the Chemistry Department including Professors Klibanov, Essigmann, Wogan, and Tannenbaum.

1995

Professor Mario Molina shares Nobel Prize in Chemistry for work on formation and decomposition of the ozone layer.

Stephen J. Lippard appointed Department Head and spearheads fund-raising campaign to support renovation of all research laboratories in the department.